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Show JOE JEFFERSON IS 76. Will Bid Farewell to the Stage in the Spring1. Joseph Jcfroraon wa9 7C jrenrs old last month, liavlnc bcn bora In Philadelphia Februury 20. 1S'.9. Ho unn look back acrons state oxperf-uncea oxperf-uncea of moro tlma sevrnty years since. In ISOJ, ho Joined IiIh fortunes with those olua. tioupo of pluyers In Texas. Tho exact dato ot hl debut none. may iclve. Ho was a baby la arms when hp wus onco carried upon tho HtaKe In a scun of "Plzarro," and lie hlmielf remembers unothcr very rarly appearance whuii ho wus hlaa from the state. "HnJ I been old cnoucli to curae at the lime." Is tho vuy tho smiling gentleman now puts It, "I daro hoV I should have muttered very nusty thlncH of tho national anthem. I had cone on to recite the "Slur Spangled Banner,' Ban-ner,' but I could tet no further limn, 'Oh. nay, can you see? Three times I asked tha question, or beeun to, and then someone hissed, and I lied. When was thut? Heaven knows. There Is no dunccr of my forgetting tho Incident, but thu month nnd year aro beyond me. Nor will I ever forcet the time when r cut the cocoon of leading nmiiJom to become a tfaudy buttertly headed starxvurd When I opened my window that spring mornlnif tho iot and vernal air. which I prvsumc was about pomewlieie. made no appeal to me at all, for there. Just across the street, wum a fence Unurlni: my name In letters four feet hlch I stood entranced until I suddenly happened hap-pened to notice that not on man of all the ecores that woro pausing gave so much 0.1 a telanco at the name that meant Me. Perhn:s 1 pilled them, nnd anyway. I gueus I was qulto llko other yountr men, and sat down, half dreseed, to dream drmms." Of nil the thentrlcal mlshapx, however, Mr. Jefferson snyo tbo funniest was ono which occurred nn tho stase of the old Walnut Strcol theater In Philadelphia. "001111110' was the play, und all went with successful Intensity Inten-sity till thero came thut scene between tho heroine and hor lover. Armund, In the course of which a servant enters, bringing light. "In thoee days." says Mr. Jefferson, "Sea Island colton was leo crcum for dramatic purposes. Just us molasses and water was sluRo wlno herry or port, according to the proportion of molneses. Armand and his Camllle wcro scaled at a tablo where they had bvea dleoulnc such delicious viands as these, and their dialogue wan maklnc the best fort of an Impression on 11 crowded house. Then In came that maid Mrvnnt, with tho wobbliest cnndelubrum nny stage manager man-ager ever allowed' among his properties. Ilcr entry passed practfcnlly unnoticed, po cn-croislnfr cn-croislnfr was the scene betweon tho principals, princi-pals, but as eho set down her burden belween them, ono candle toppled out and tho Ico cream caught nro. Tho strain was brolcen. Tho house roared and the curtain had to be rung down." Mr. Jefferson will bid farowell to tho thoA tcr-GOcrs of Boston during Easter week. His Ron. Thomas. wlU play In "Hip Van Winkle" that week, and Sir. Jefferson will deliver nn address each ovcnlne between tho nets. The following week ho expects to kq to New York and mako his farewell appearanco as an actor during a benefit which will txi given to Joseph Holland In tho Metropolitan opera-hou opera-hou . ... |